Umbogintwini

History

In the early 1900s, Mr Arthur Chamberlain (uncle of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain) saw an opportunity to supply explosives to the gold mines in South Africa at a cheaper rate than he could supply from the Kynochs factory in Arklow, Ireland. In 1907, the Natal Colony (prior to the Union of South Africa in 1910) granted Kynochs Ltd a lease on 1,400 acres (566 hectares) of land south of the uMbokodweni River which was originally part of a reserve.

Mr Warner, a land surveyor from Brisbane in Australia was contracted to lay out the factory and village of Umbogintwini. A house had been built for him in the village before he moved 11 km south-west of the village on the farm which is today known as the seaside resort of Warner Beach.

The first road constructed in the village was Highbury Road which became the focus of the earliest amenities buildings and residences before the village expanded and Chamberlain Road became the next point for development in the village.

23 men and their families from the Kynochs factory in Arklow, Ireland, moved to the area from 1908 to assist with the construction of the Twini factory with the men living outside of Umbogintwini until the first houses in the village were built.

The factory officially opened for production in 1908 as Kynochs Ltd and was set up to produce explosives as well as chemicals including nitric and sulphuric acid needed in the production of the explosives. The name of the factory later changed to African Explosives and Industries (which later further changed to African Explosives and Chemical Industries) in 1924 before the ramping up of the production of explosives during World War 2. During World War 2, the Royal Navy maintained a presence when purpose-built double storey houses for the officers were constructed, on Highbury Road.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, the "new village", an extension of Umbogintwini, was developed north of Dickens Road.

Umbogintwini's post office received the corrected name in 1997.

The village did not develop much until December 2004 when 90 hectares comprising the village and golf course was sold to Keystone Investments for their Arbour Town Development and in 2006 Volvo opened its GTO plant in Umbogintwini.

Today, Highbury Road and Cocking Road do not exist due to the Arbour Town development however Chamberlain Road, Prince Street, Rees Road and Oppenheimer Road still exist today. Oppenheimer Road used to extend through the village, however today the section between Dickens Road and Junction 2 no longer exists as it now forms part of the Arbour Town development and Chamberlain Road now forms part of the Arbour Village housing complex.

Etymology

"Umbogintwini* is the corrupted version of the Zulu word Mbokodweni or eZimbokodweni meaning “river where round stones are collected” which is named after the eZimbokodweni River on which it lies on. The name "Umbogintwini* itself is too long for many residents and thus today the suburb is commonly referred to as the shortened version of the name which is "Twini” or even sometimes ''MBog".

Overview

Umbogintwini is a mixed-use area situated along the main railway between Durban and the South Coast, known as the South Coast Line, and features three distinct areas: the industrial complex, the village and Arbour Town.

Industrial complex

Much of Umbogintwini comprises the industrial complex located west of the railway. This well-developed industrial complex is widely known as a major chemical and manufacturing hub in KwaZulu-Natal, hosting manufacturing plants for several major corporations such as Volvo, Toyota Boshoku, Toyota Tsusho, Yara South Africa, Dulux, BASF, Anchor Yeast, Dyefin Textiles, Acacia, Progas, The Beverage Company, Chemical Initiatives, Sammar and APM Terminals, among others.

Umbogintwini Village

The north-eastern part of Umbogintwini, known as "the village," is a small residential area situated between the railway and the N2. It features a post office, a primary school, and a park.

Arbour Town

The south-eastern part of Umbogintwini, known as Arbour Town, is a mixed-use precinct situated between the railway and the N2. It features two shopping centres: the Galleria Mall, the largest shopping centre south of Durban, and Arbour Crossing. Arbour Town has seen consistent growth with the development of a Makro outlet and the addition of several auto sales facilities and drive-thru restaurants.

Geography

Umbogintwini is located about 8 kilometres (5 miles) north-west of the eManzimtoti CBD, along the southern banks of the eZimbokodweni River. Its neighbouring suburbs include Lotus Park to the north, Athlone Park to the east, eManzimtoti to the south, and eZimbokodweni to the west. The suburb forms the southernmost part of the South Durban Basin, which is a heavily industrialised region located south of Durban.

Transport

Rail

Umbogintwini Railway Station is located on the South Coast Line, operated by Metrorail, connecting Durban in the north-east (via Isipingo) to Kelso in the southwest (via Amanzimtoti).

Road

Umbogintwini is bordered by three routes: the N2 to the east, the M37 to the south, and Mfundi Mngadi Road to the west. The N2 is the main freeway connecting Durban to the north with Port Shepstone to the south. The M37 (Moss Kolnik Drive) connects Amanzimtoti in the south with KwaMakhutha to the west, providing access to the N2 highway. Similarly, Wanda Cele Road connects to Isipingo in the north and Mfundi Mngadi Road connects to KwaMakhutha in the west. Additionally, Dickens Road serves as the main access route to the N2 from Umbogintwini and connects the suburb with Athlone Park to the east.

References

References

1. "Sub Place Umbogintwini". Census 2011.
2. Jenkins, Elwyn. (2007). "Falling into place: the story of modern South African place names". David Philip Publishers.
3. "Umbogintwini - Some history and memories of a boy from Umbogintwini".
4. Jenkins, Elwyn R.. (January 1991). "Linguistic and sociolinguistic issues in South African place names". English Usage in Southern Africa.
5. "DURBAN".
6. "TBEU".
7. "TOYOTA TSUSHO AFRICA (PTY) LTD {{!}} Umbogintwini Amanzimtoti Kwazulu-Natal South Africa {{!}} Search in Africa".
8. "Home".
9. "Map of South Africa showing KwaZulu-Natal Province and South Durban Basin".